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Hundreds vent frustrations at political event in Brewer
Bangor (Maine) Daily News ^ | 26 August, 2009 | Dawn Gagnon

Posted on 08/26/2009 6:04:53 AM PDT by NewHampshireDuo

BREWER, Maine — An estimated 450 people from throughout Maine’s 2nd Congressional District and beyond gathered in Brewer Tuesday night to give their elected representatives a piece of their minds.

The problem was U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe and U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud were no shows.

Instead the dozens of people who traveled from such places as Washington County, Casco, Saco, East Millinocket, Orrington, the St. John Valley, Bangor, and York County, had to make due by addressing blown up photographs of the three propped up against three empty chairs that had been reserved for them at the front of the room.

Tuesday night’s gathering at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer was organized by Paul Trommer of Bangor, who got the word out largely through e-mail invitations and other means of Internet networking.

“This is about people feeling disenfranchised by their elected representatives,” Trommer said just before the start of the event, which lasted at least two hours.

“Our representatives are ducking us and not having any public meetings with their constituents. This has many folks not only concerned, but upset and angry,” he said in his invitation, adding that the point of the session was to allow Mainers to express their views and concerns regarding their representatives’ actions in Wash-ington.

In his opening remarks, Trommer said he organized the town hall-style meeting because he was sick and tired of seeing people essentially being ignored by their congressional delegation.

“This isn’t a Republican event. This isn’t a Democratic event. This is a people event,” he said, adding that he didn’t plan the event in conjunction with any particular political party and that he received no funding to host it. Jeff Ashey, owner of Jeff’s Catering in Brewer, provided the use of his hall at no cost.

The anger and frustration in the room was almost palpable.

By the end of the more than two-hour event, an estimated 75 Mainers had stepped up to the podium to express their concerns, fears and desires regarding the political direction the United States is taking.

Topics Mainers sounded off about ran the gamut from unprecedented federal spending to increasing restrictions on gun ownership. Other issues addressed included plans to nationalize health care, the federal stimulus package, recent corporate bailouts, and the cash for clunkers program.

Chuck Sherman, who retired from General Electric, was angry about recent news that Social Security recipients likely won’t see a cost of living increase for two years.

While the nation’s seniors will be doing without some of life’s basics, members of Congress are enjoying six-figure salaries, he said.

“I’m on a fixed income like a lot of you blue hairs out there,” the Hampden man said, adding that the cost of his diabetes medication is increasing. “So my fixed costs are rising and my income is decreasing.”

With regard to federal spending, including the stimulus package, a registered nurse who only identified himself as Jake said, “Stop spending my money and stop spending my children’s money,” especially since there isn’t a plan for paying it off.

Though Trommer initially planned to send recordings of the meeting to Collins, Michaud and Snowe, he said late Tuesday night that he might instead edit it and post it on YouTube.

“If they will not listen to the people, then the people will make them listen,” he said.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Maine
KEYWORDS: 111th; healthcare; maine; obamacare; snowe; susancollins; townhalls
The dozens of people who traveled from such places as Washington County, Casco, Saco, East Millinocket, Orrington, the St. John Valley, Bangor, and York County, had to make due by addressing blown up photographs of the three propped up against three empty chairs that had been reserved for them at the front of the room.
1 posted on 08/26/2009 6:04:53 AM PDT by NewHampshireDuo
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To: NewHampshireDuo

It was a fair article. But the reporter writes, ‘make due’.

Once again we are faced with a dearth of literate editors.


2 posted on 08/26/2009 6:13:53 AM PDT by squarebarb
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To: NewHampshireDuo
"Hey, old folks. Wake up. Ted Kennedy's dead and he didn't leave anything in the will for you.

Now, pay up. Free ride times over. Done. Finished. Youse got a lot of debts, to me, and my Arab friends, my Wall Street friends, friends in government.

And. You. Must. Pay.

.... Or your kids. Makes no never mind to me. Now pay up."


3 posted on 08/26/2009 6:15:47 AM PDT by Leisler
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To: NewHampshireDuo
“If they will not listen to the people, then the people will make them listen,” he said.

Repeat often and everywhere at every chance.

4 posted on 08/26/2009 6:18:19 AM PDT by OB1kNOb (Extreme right-winged mob terrorist astroturfing bitter clinging racist birther evilmongering wingnut)
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To: NewHampshireDuo
Bust Out.
(As in 'Bust Out Nation'.)

"A "bust out" is a common tactic in the organized crime world where a business's assets and lines of credit are exploited and exhausted to the point of bankruptcy"

5 posted on 08/26/2009 6:18:43 AM PDT by Leisler
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To: OB1kNOb

It’s like listening to people on the Titanic bitch about the deck chairs.


6 posted on 08/26/2009 6:19:37 AM PDT by Leisler
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To: NewHampshireDuo

“This is about people feeling disenfranchised by their elected representatives,” ....

&&&

No, no, it’s about paid mobs. Aren’t you listening?


7 posted on 08/26/2009 6:22:08 AM PDT by Bigg Red (Palin/Hunter 2012)
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To: NewHampshireDuo

This was a great meeting and will be repeated until our MIA reps show up.


8 posted on 08/26/2009 6:27:25 AM PDT by armymarinemom (My sons freed Iraqi and Afghan Honor Roll students.)
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To: Bigg Red

0bama/democRats’ biggest mistake to date
is NOT paying off the seniors for their
loyalty.

That’s gonna be the ONE thing that bites ‘em.


9 posted on 08/26/2009 6:31:08 AM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, save Bowman for later)
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To: armymarinemom

Good luck with that. Seems you are represented by “Real Cowards,” as opposed to Real Americans. If they don’t show up and do their jobs to meet with and hear the public...then the public should dock their pay for being absent!!! (Oh, if we only could. I suspect 95% of congress would be broke because on non-performance!)


10 posted on 08/26/2009 6:35:16 AM PDT by CitizenM ("An excuse is worse than an lie, because an excuse is a lie hidden." Pope John Paul, II)
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To: NewHampshireDuo
Who stuffs the ballot boxes in Maine?...
They must be very good at it..
11 posted on 08/26/2009 6:50:04 AM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole....)
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To: NewHampshireDuo

The cowards are afraid to show up and hear what the voters say. This is a GREAT idea to keep the people informed and to keep spreading their voices to the press.


12 posted on 08/26/2009 7:00:23 AM PDT by kitkat
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To: NewHampshireDuo
I love when the "in abstentia" card is played.
13 posted on 08/26/2009 7:01:08 AM PDT by PDMiller
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To: NewHampshireDuo
Keep increasing the pressure.


14 posted on 08/26/2009 7:06:44 AM PDT by paulycy (Screw the RACErs.)
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To: PDMiller
I love when the "in abstentia" card is played

Play it every time the congresscritter is abstent.

15 posted on 08/26/2009 7:07:48 AM PDT by HIDEK6
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To: NewHampshireDuo

Forget the photo, just put an empty suit in the chair and no one would have known the difference.


16 posted on 08/26/2009 7:11:09 AM PDT by razorback-bert (We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers.)
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To: NewHampshireDuo

Naturally Snowe and Collins were not there. They had IMPORTANT things to do. With the limitless number of ignorant people in Maine, their re-elections are no doubt assured!


17 posted on 08/26/2009 7:31:47 AM PDT by Oldpuppymax (AGENDA OF THE LEFT EXPOSED)
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